A mother and her four-year-old daughter died in a house fire Saturday morning in Franklin, and a Friday morning house fire left a family of six without a home.
Franklin Fire Chief Ben Ormond said the Silver Spruce Lane fire was called in at 1:45 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4.
According to the GoFundMe shared by Hunter Funeral Home in Clayton, Georgia, Forrest and Valerie Welch awoke to their house on fire. Forrest was able to get their two-year-old son Silas out, but Valerie and their daughter Luna didn’t make it out and died. Valerie was 27 and Luna was 4.
Ormond said the N.C. Fire and Arson Investigation Unit investigated due to there being fatalities. It is believed the fire started near the kitchen, but the cause will remain undetermined due to the house being too far destroyed. The house is a total loss.
“It could have been one of any number of things,” Ormond said.
A call for donations by the Franklin Fire-Rescue Department and the Macon County Sheriff’s Office led to an outstanding response, Ormond said.
“People filled up our station once over with clothes, items, as well as cash and checks,” Ormond said Monday, Nov. 6.
On Friday, Nov. 3, a fire consumed a house on Roller Mill Road. Ormond said that call came in at 8:30 a.m. In this case, the McConnell family all made it out safely, but the house was a total loss.
Ormond said the Roller Mill Road fire originated in the chimney where it protrudes through the attic.
The fire chief said response to both fires was great and that fully involved structure fires are “all hands on deck” events. Both paid and volunteer staff from Franklin responded, as well as neighboring units.
“We couldn’t do it without them,” Ormond said of the neighboring units. “We also ask that you keep everyone in your prayers, and that includes all first responders. It takes a toll on the first responders, and they carry a heavy burden.”
Donations
To donate to the Welch family, go to gofund.me/fae6e230. To donate to the McConnell family, go to gofund.me/e4cce9b8
Ormond asked that if people wish to donate, that they do so in a gift card, cash or check, saying they’ve already received so many clothes, shoes and other physical items.
“We don’t want it to be overwhelming for the families,” Ormond said.
Safety check
As the temperatures drop, Franklin Fire Chief Ben Ormond offered the following tips.
• Spend money and have an expert come in and clean the chimney if necessary.
• Make sure space heaters are not plugged into surge protectors.
• Make sure space heaters have three feet of clearance.
• Check your smoke detectors to make sure they’re working.